Things
will be different this season for the Mustangs
- at least in the uniform department.

SMU
will sport a new look, with a red stripe
and a red Mustang logo on new blue helmets
(a change from white). Whether the players
who will wear the spiffy new threads are
any better is the question facing Bennett.

Bartel
is the key. The youngster was erratic during
practices last fall or he would have gotten
more playing time. He had 6 TDs and just
1 pick during spring scrimmages. Or is that
just an indictment against the defense?

The
schedule isn't any easier, with five bowl
teams from a year ago. Baylor and Boise
State replace Navy and Hawaii - no pushovers
there. The tough conference teams visit
Gerald J. Ford Stadium this season - Boise
State, Fresno State and TCU. The Mustangs
won three of their final five games, either
a sign of things to come, or that the competition
tailed off.

SMU
has just one winning season since its well-publicized
death-penalty sentence in 1987. Bennett
will be hard-pressed to produce another
one this season. The usual 3-4 victory total
of recent seasons looks more probable, unless
Bartel has a breakout season.

A
look at SMU's statistics from last season brings
to light a very interesting number - the Mustangs
had 230 first downs last season. Opponents had
218. And yet SMU scored only 207 points all season,
while opponents poured on with 378.

The
Mustangs held the ball for more than six minutes
a game than their opponents on average. They would
march downfield with some success, then when time
came for the one play that would mean the difference
between a scoring drive and an empty feeling -
the play was not made.

SMU
was a mediocre 90th overall in total offense,
averaging 341.6 yards per game, but a dreadful
113th in scoring offense, putting just 17.3 points
per game on the board.

The
Ponies turned the ball over 29 times. If it wasn't
a turnover, it was an untimely penalty, a sack,
some other kind of blown assignment or a missed
field goal.

You
name it, it happened. Head coach Phil Bennett
inherited a veteran team that played like a bunch
of rookies.

The
one position that did not have much experience
was at quarterback. First Tate Wallis, then Richard
Bartel had his shot. Bartel, who has a very strong
arm, is at SMU on the dime of the Cincinnati Reds,
who fully expect him to play for them someday.
But for now, it looks like Bennett has a quarterback.
Bartel completed 60 percent of his passes with
8 TDs and 8 picks, and appeared much improved
during the spring, when he had three big scrimmage
outings against the SMU defense.

The
team's strength, as it was a year ago, is at the
running back position. Keylon Kincade emerged
after a spring injury to ShanDerrick Charles and
led the team with 1,279 yards. Kincade, who is
bigger and stronger than Charles, averaged only
3.9 yards a carry and does not have breakaway
speed, which played a role in the pitiful scoring
numbers. Charles, only 5-foot-9 with a little
bit of wiggle, had a pair of 200-yard games in
2001 but averaged only 3.1 yards on 27 attempts
last season as he dealt with the injury. With
a healthy Charles, the Mustangs think they can
cross the goal line a few more times.

They
will, however, have to replace their top two pass
catchers in wideout Cody Cardwell (47 catches)
and tight end John Hampton (33). Chris Cunningham,
the team's leading receiver in 2001, is back after
sitting out last season with a broken foot. He
and Daniel Francis, who had 29 catches as a true
freshman, give Bartel a couple of undersized but
quick targets.

The
biggest surprise could be Matt Rushbrook, who
led the team in receiving in all three spring
scrimmages. The converted free safety had 19 catches
for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns, two from Bartel.

Seniors
Steve Reindl (center) and Sterling Harris (right
tackle) anchor an offensive line that allowed
only 20 sacks a year ago. Guards Townsend Hargis
and Brad Kieschnick are two more decent returning
starters and will team with junior left tackle
Eric Neal to give Bartel a pretty solid wall of
protection that might surprise a few people. Redshirt
freshman Ryan Kennedy is the first option at tight
end, replacing Hampton and his backup.

All
in all, there are several reasons to think the
Mustangs might actually celebrate scoring drives
this season, instead of lamenting lost chances.

WR
Chris Cunningham

SMU
2003 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters in bold

OFFENSE

QB

Richard
Bartel-So

Tate
Wallis-So

FB

Derron
Brown-Jr

Matt
Young-Fr

TB

Keylon
Kincade-Sr

ShanDerrick
Charles-Jr

WR

Daniel
Francis-So

Trey
Griffin-Jr

WR

Chris
Cunningham-Sr

Matt
Rushbrook-Jr

TE

Trent
Hrncir-Sr

Ryan
Kennedy-Fr

OT

Eric
Neal-Jr

Martin
Guidry-Fr

OG

Brad
Kieschnick-So

Chris
Urbanus-Fr

C

Steve
Reindl-Sr

Grant
Eidson-So

OG

Townsend
Hargis-Jr

Chad
Meacham-Fr

OT

Sterling
Harris-Sr

Matt
Muns-Jr

K

Chris
McMurtray-So

..

2003
DEFENSE

written
by Boyce Garrison

Bennett
was known for defense at Kansas State, where he
was the coordinator for three seasons and where
the Wildcats were in the top four nationally in
total defense all three years. Before that, he
was the secondary coach at Oklahoma, where the
Sooners ranked sixth nationally in total defense.
Before that, Bennett spent a year as TCU's defensive
coordinator, and the Horned Frogs improved dramatically
in total defense. And before that, he was the
DC at Texas A&M, which was in the top 10 in
total defense for one of two seasons during his
tenure. You get the picture. Now if only Bennett
could get the same kind of athlete those schools
do.

The
Mustangs have a new linebackers coach in Darrell
Patterson, who is still TCU's all-time leading
tackler. Maybe Patterson can impart some of his
intensity to SMU's backers. They'll need it. The
unit lost its top tackler, Vic Viloria (89 tackles),
as well as D.D. Johnson (50). Strongside backer
Brian Bischoff added only 59 tackles, but he did
add 11 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. The ineffectiveness
in this unit showed up in the stats. Besides Viloria,
four others had more tackles than Bischoff, including
both safeties, free Ruben Moodley (72) and strong
Rico Harris (71). The overall unit's reliability
on Moodley and Harris to read and react first
to the run paved the way to a dismal 97 national
ranking in pass defense.

Top
defensive back Kevin Garrett (a fifth-round pick
by the St. Louis Rams) and Viloria led the team
with 2 picks each. The rest of the defense had
just 4. Senior Jonas Rutledge led the secondary
with 11 pass breakups and brings some steadiness
to the table.

Junior
defensive tackle Allan Adami was the Mustangs'
second-leading tackler with 77. He also had 3.5
sacks and is the main reason for optimism among
this unit. The line will miss noseguard Lute Croy,
who contributed 64 tackles, including 10.5 for
loss and 3.5 sacks. Don Ieremia-Stansbury moved
from linebacker to defensive end during 2002.
He can be effective, though he's a bit undersized
at 240 pounds.

Overall,
there is some talent on this defense. But is it
enough to stop some of the very good offenses
in the Western Athletic Conference? An answer
to that may lie in the offense's ability to put
up points this season. The Mustangs averaged a
measly 6.4 first-half points last season, leaving
the defense a disheartened bunch going into the
locker room most of the time. Meanwhile, opponents
increased their scoring in every quarter, up to
a more than 10.6 during the fourth as the undersized
unit wore down.

CB
Jonas Rutledge

SMU
2003 DEPTH CHARTReturning Starters in bold

DEFENSE

DE

Melvin
Williams-Jr

Justin
Rogers-Fr

NG

Randy
Denman-Fr

Marcus
Walker-So

DT

Allan
Adami-Jr

Darrin
Johnson-Fr

DE

Don
Ieremia-Stansbury-So

Clay
Glockzin-Jr

SLB

Brian
Bischoff-Sr

Jarrian
James-Sr

MLB

D.D.
Lee-Jr

Reggie
Carrington-Fr

WLB

D.D.
Johnson-Sr

Cole
Horton-Fr

CB

Jonas
Rutledge-Sr

Robert
Gilmore-Fr

CB

Rolando
Humphrey-So

Ruben
Moodley-Sr

SS

Rico
Harris-Jr

Chris
Godfrey-Jr

FS

Jamey
Harper-So

Alvin
Nnabuife-So

P

Ryan
Mentzel-So

..

2003
SPECIAL TEAMS

Cardwell
is gone, taking with him his No. 3 national ranking
in punt returns (17.3 yards). Cunningham returns to
take up some of the slack, possibly also as the kickoff
return man, where he excelled in 1999 with a 33.9-yard
average.

Sophomore
Chris McMurtray hit just 1-of-4 field goals. His struggles
led to walk-on Trent Stephenson, who did OK on field
goals, but struggled on PATs (9-of-14). He will not
return. McMurtray could be feeling the heat in August.
If so, he could replaced by true freshman Ryan Wolcott.
Punter Ryan Mentzel is solid with a 35.5-yard net.